logo
#

Latest news with #UberGreen

'We are open to all pricing models'
'We are open to all pricing models'

New Indian Express

time4 days ago

  • Automotive
  • New Indian Express

'We are open to all pricing models'

Ride-hailing Uber, which is facing heat from Rapido with its driver-friendly monthly platform fee model, says it's open to any model that helps drivers who number 1.4 million now. The San Francisco-based rider app entered the country in 2012 with just one product in one city and today boasts of close to a dozen offerings across 125 cities, most of which are locally developed and unique to this market. Uber India president Prabhjeet Singh tells Benn Kochuveedan that it grew a whopping 40% in terms of driver additions from 1 million in 2023 to 1.4 million in 2024. Your rival Rapido with its monthly platform model as against your 30% commission model from each ride is drawing a lot of attention forcing Ola to follow suit. What is your approach to this pricing model and what will be the impact on your revenue if switched to this one? We are open to all pricing models that help our driver partners. In fact, we are testing a model that's based on a monthly fee model in some cities. All our services are based on the feedback from customers and our driver partners. That we've added 0.4 million new driver partners in 2024—from 1 million in the previous year to 1.4 million—is a testimony to the success of our business model. The way we operate is not necessarily about what others do. What we care for is our partners' profitability and choices. This is a competitive market and we are continuously innovating--whether it's our features, or the way we work with drivers. We offer different operating models to our partners. For example, our auto business runs on a subscription model, we also offer different models in some cities for cabs. There is no one uniform answer, that's the power of a very diverse business and you literally can actually customize according to market demands. What we want to make sure is that irrespective of the way drivers engage with our platform, their earnings should be fair, stable, and transparent. Yes, multiple pricing models are in the market and we'll continue to iterate with drivers to ensure that they have choices. That 4 lakh new drivers came onto our platform last year alone means drivers are choosing to work with us despite having the choice of working with multiple platforms. You've nearly a dozen products here. How many of them are profitable? A very large percentage of our products are profitable. We don't report product-level profitability but at the end of the day the fact that we are growing rapidly means we are running a profitable business. We make enough money to reinvest in other new products. Our disciplined operations allow us to reinvest in categories which are future markets, so it's a portfolio of products that we manage. India business is growing strong, we continue to have a very sustainable business, and we're reinvesting profits from one part of the business to other parts. As a policy we don't publish specific revenue numbers. How is Uber Green doing? What's preventing its faster adoption? As the largest ride-hailing platform we must lead the industry by being a catalyst. For more EVs to come to our platform, I think OEMs have to come together, financing has to improve, more fleet partners with EVs have to come forward, and finally consumers have to opt for a green car which is costlier than a normal ride. We launched Uber Green about two years ago and it is now live in five cities, including Mumbai and over 20,000 EVs are on our network now. At the end of the day it comes down to an economic choice for the driver. Pricing is the biggest speed bump I would say. Ride-hailing vehicles tend to run longer, they need a certain range, price points need to be lower, there must be the right charging infrastructure. So we are trying to solve for it by working with fleet partners, recognising that they will be able to make those investments in creating captive hubs, they are able to purchase those assets but that takes time. Also the resale market for EVs is still to fully play out. Many of your services like Ubermoto, Uber Shuttle don't have licences in many cities? Transport is a concurrent subject and every state has its own rules and regulations. What we're doing is as we innovate and pilot new services we simultaneously work with respective state administrations and educate them on the need to give customers mobility choices.

Are WA locals the most environmentally-minded in Australia?
Are WA locals the most environmentally-minded in Australia?

Perth Now

time10-07-2025

  • Automotive
  • Perth Now

Are WA locals the most environmentally-minded in Australia?

New national data from Uber released today has revealed west Aussies are the most environmentally conscious in the country. The ride share giant conducted a survey throughout Australia and found that WA customers rated themselves a 7.29/10 for green efforts, higher than NSW (6.99) and Queensland (6.86). The research highlighted that 40 per cent of Aussies claimed that cost remains the number one barrier to living more sustainably while 65 per cent admitted that choosing less environmentally friendly options because they were more convenient. The data is released as west Aussies head into Plastic Free July; a community initiative set up by volunteers in Perth in 2011 which solidifies July as the global month of action against plastic pollution. The global movement now stands as the largest waste avoidance campaign on the planet, with 174 million participants globally in 2024. Actor Melissa Joanhart uses the non disposal mugs at Emu Point cafe in Albany. Credit: Instagram/Plastic Free July / Plastic Free July To celebrate Plastic Free July, City of Vincent staff will be popping up in select cafes across the area offering free coffees to those who bring a reusable cup instead of opting for a single-use one. The WA government has also taken repeated action on plastic pollution, with moulded or cut expanded plastic packaging being banned on July 1 as part of the Western Australia's Plan for Plastics plan. Uber has found that WA and Victoria (VIC) residents have shown the most significant increase in their focus on sustainability this year and have chosen to focus on sustainability as a key business objective going forward. The business has transitioned its Uber Green product to a fully electric ride share option since April this year, with a 30% year-on-year increase in the number of EV Uber drivers. This is a direct response to the research which found that Aussies want to consider the environment but are often hampered by cost and convenience. Uber Green rides are now available in Perth for the same cost as UberX rides.

Uber data reveals West Aussies most environmentally conscious in Australia as Plastic Free July continues
Uber data reveals West Aussies most environmentally conscious in Australia as Plastic Free July continues

West Australian

time10-07-2025

  • Automotive
  • West Australian

Uber data reveals West Aussies most environmentally conscious in Australia as Plastic Free July continues

New national data from Uber released today has revealed west Aussies are the most environmentally conscious in the country. The ride share giant conducted a survey throughout Australia and found that WA customers rated themselves a 7.29/10 for green efforts, higher than NSW (6.99) and Queensland (6.86). The research highlighted that 40 per cent of Aussies claimed that cost remains the number one barrier to living more sustainably while 65 per cent admitted that choosing less environmentally friendly options because they were more convenient. The data is released as west Aussies head into Plastic Free July ; a community initiative set up by volunteers in Perth in 2011 which solidifies July as the global month of action against plastic pollution. The global movement now stands as the largest waste avoidance campaign on the planet, with 174 million participants globally in 2024. To celebrate Plastic Free July, City of Vincent staff will be popping up in select cafes across the area offering free coffees to those who bring a reusable cup instead of opting for a single-use one. The WA government has also taken repeated action on plastic pollution, with moulded or cut expanded plastic packaging being banned on July 1 as part of the Western Australia's Plan for Plastics plan. Uber has found that WA and Victoria (VIC) residents have shown the most significant increase in their focus on sustainability this year and have chosen to focus on sustainability as a key business objective going forward. The business has transitioned its Uber Green product to a fully electric ride share option since April this year, with a 30% year-on-year increase in the number of EV Uber drivers. This is a direct response to the research which found that Aussies want to consider the environment but are often hampered by cost and convenience. Uber Green rides are now available in Perth for the same cost as UberX rides.

Bizarre way Stephen Curry landed his role in The Castle
Bizarre way Stephen Curry landed his role in The Castle

Courier-Mail

time09-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Courier-Mail

Bizarre way Stephen Curry landed his role in The Castle

Don't miss out on the headlines from Movies. Followed categories will be added to My News. Stephen Curry has revealed the bizarre way he landed his role in the iconic Aussie movie, The Castle, saying it was the result of 'pure dumb luck'. The actor, best known for playing the quietly optimistic Dale Kerrigan, opened up about his casting during an interview to promote his role in a new Uber Green campaign. Curry was only 20 years old when he landed a role in the film after catching the eyes of Jane Kennedy and Rob Sitch from Working Dog (the production company that made the movie). Working Dog's Michael Hirsh, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch and Tom Gleisner. 'They'd cast the whole film but they hadn't cast my character,' he recalled. 'Then, all of a sudden, while they're (Sitch and Kennedy) sitting there on their couch talking about who they're going to get to play Dale Kerrigan, an ad came on.' The TV commercial was a lighthearted one that Curry had filmed a year earlier for the TAC (Transport Accident Commission), and clearly both Kennedy and Sitch were impressed by what they saw. 'They had no idea who I was,' Curry said. 'The next day I had the script (for The Castle) in my hand. 'It was pure dumb luck.' Anthony Simcoe, Stephen Curry and Michael Caton have reunited for a new Uber Green campaign. Picture: Uber Green Almost 30 years later, Curry has reunited with castmates Anthony Simcoe and Michael Caton in a new Uber campaign, promoting the rideshare company's EV offering. 'Uber Green is the same price as an Uber X, but they're all electric vehicles … so you can save the planet and still get there on time in a nice, whisper quiet ride,' he told The cultural impact of The Castle The 1997 movie is full of memorable lines, including 'tell him he's dreaming', 'how's the serenity?' and 'this is going straight to the pool room'. They're lines that people have been repeating to Curry for more than 25 years, although not always accurately. 'Usually they get it wrong,' the actor said. 'Someone came past on a bus and all I heard was, 'how's the serendipity?'' Another line that people often misquote? ''Dad, I dug a ditch,' I've heard numerous times,' Curry laughed. The Castle cast. Other fun facts about The Castle A few months ago, the Working Dog team who made The Castleshared some little known facts about the film during a Q+A event at HOTA on the Gold Coast. One of the most surprising was that they rejected an offer for a remake involving a Hollywood megastar. 'I think there was an offer to remake it in the United States with Tom Hanks playing the main role and it was going to be set next to O'Hare Airport in Chicago,' Working Dog's Santo Cilauro said. 'I think they wanted to make the lawyer the main character and that he had to return to university to study law to do a constitutional case in the Supreme Court,' Cilauro recalled. The Working Dog team's response … tell em they're dreamin! Originally published as Bizarre way star landed his role in The Castle

Two and three wheelers rides in fast lane for Uber, Infra News, ET Infra
Two and three wheelers rides in fast lane for Uber, Infra News, ET Infra

Time of India

time09-07-2025

  • Automotive
  • Time of India

Two and three wheelers rides in fast lane for Uber, Infra News, ET Infra

Advt Advt More than 60 per cent of Uber customers in India are currently opting for two- and three-wheelers, marking a shift in consumer mobility preferences at the ride-hailing platform from passenger which leads India's ride-hailing market , employs about 1.4 million driver partners, up from 1 million in 2024, reflecting steady demand growth."In India, more than three out of every five trips are now on two-wheelers or three-wheelers," Prabhjeet Singh, president, Uber India and South Asia told ET. He was speaking on the sidelines of the Uber Pragati event in to him, a key driver of this transition is growing demand for affordable and flexible transport, especially in congested urban and semi-urban areas. Singh said categories such as intercity, airport travel, and premium offerings are also seeing "massive growth," supported by new product innovations and affordability as it expands into multiple use cases, Uber's electrification efforts have remained modest. The company operates 25,000 electric vehicles (EVs) across two-, three-, and four-wheeler categories, comprising less than 2 per cent of its 1.4 million active vehicles in India."EV adoption is growing, but penetration is definitely lower than I would like it to be," Singh said. He pointed to hurdles including high financing costs, unclear residual value of EVs, and inadequate charging infrastructure as key challenges slowing the transition. India's EV ecosystem, according to Singh, is still developing, and the cost burden of vehicle ownership continues to be a barrier. "Someone has to buy the asset and deploy it on the platform. That's harder for EVs," he navigate these challenges, Uber is partnering with institutional fleet operators who invest in vehicles and charging networks. Its Uber Green service , which offers EV rides, is currently operational in three Indian is Uber's third-largest market globally by volume. To drive further growth, the company has started new services such as Uber for Seniors and Uber Pet besides affordability features like Wait and Save. While EV adoption remains a long-term goal, Uber is currently focusing on expanding access through lower-cost, high-volume mobility options, said Singh.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store